Elephant Moon delivers a heartfelt, melodic folk sound on the newly released single “149 Northbound.” Based in Odense, Denmark, songwriter Anders Dal utilized an old eight-track in a London flat to document this first-take performance, intentionally preserving the natural hiss of the session. ““This song isn’t me — it had a life of its own,” Dal says. “Every limitation — the old 8-track, the cheap guitar and mics, even the hiss — became part of what allowed it to survive.”
Layers of twangy guitars coexist with harmonious warmth to start, giving way to Dal’s introspective vocals. “Swallow your pride, and come back a man,” his debonair presence exudes, bolstered by a synth-touched buzzing as the one-minute mark approaches and the rollicking guitar tones continue; the interactions between the fingerpicked and slide guitar hypnotize throughout, complemented by the steady hi-hat percussive pulse. Mellotron and Moog uses lend a serene, textural charm in the background, while a sweltering, bluesy harmonica infusion past the midpoint furthers the delectable overall expanse.
The vocals and lyricism fade entirely throughout the mesmerizing second half, where the guitars, harmonica, and electronic keyboards progress with a free-flowing ardor. Prior to that, the lyrics echo a sense of reflection and personal reckoning. “Like a boxer you fight, you take your punches in the ring,” he lets out during an especially memorable sequence, then direct in its ensuing “hostile ego unrecognized” headiness — overall capturing a gritty confrontation with one’s internal self. “149 Northbound” is another standout success from Elephant Moon, who previously caught our ears with the tracks “Good Medicine” and “Fly Again.”
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
